Card business - questions and a favour!

[hunkermunker]

What essentials could you not live without for making cards?

What are nice bits to have?

And where do you buy your card-making equipment/materials?

I already use bits and pieces I have lying around and improvise loads, as well as having a huge accumulation of blanks, stamps, inks, papers, etc!

I'm starting a card business. Initially, I want to sell cards to local independent gift/card shops, of which there are several in the local area, so I'm going to put together some samples and take them round the shops. I was thinking about printing a brochure with some good quality photos of my cards, so that I can leave them with the shops, but is that something that's better to do after I see what the reaction is to my cards (after all, people might not like them!).

Please keep asking me what I've done and how it's going - I need all the motivation/kicks up the bum I can get! And if you see me posting on here too much, please tell me to go away and make some cards

I would say that the most important thing is to have good quality basics eg scissors, fancy cut scissors, paper trimmers, bone scorers, good quality glues, best quality card and envelopes you can afford, 3d foam pads, ink pads, embossing powders, heat gun, hole punch, tweezers etc etc.

All the sparkly bits and embellishments are lovely, but I think if you use good quality basics you can make most things look good.

Also, I got personalised stickers made with my name, phone number etc. and put one on the back of EVERY card. I went for gold with black type but think next time I wold get the clear ones. They were very cheap, about £10 for 1500, off the top of my head.

Good luck

I think Layla made up a brochure but not quite sure how she got on with it.
Just got back from Speech & Lang. with dd, and in the middle of making lunch, but will chat later.

I love this site - thank you for the speedy replies!

Essential,,,hmmm,,,tricky one,,,I don't know how I managesd without my accucrease board and bone folder. Agree about labels on the back of cards, I initially just used to stamp "Hand crafted by" and write my name, but much more proffessional to use stickers, it makes sense to pass on your details too. I have the clear labels and love them but it's handy to have a small supply of a lighter colour sticker that will show up on darker cardstock.

Hi Hunkermunker

Have just finished making my card for the challenge using your B&P's. I have just stuck all the stars on using some micro dots I borrowed from a friend!!

Go for it, I hope it goes well. My friend has just been around, we were supposed to be making cards, but spent the whole time chatting, and swapping stuff. WE have decided to set up cardmaking classes, probably only once a month as we both have other jobs as well. I might start a new thread as I need some advice on how to go about that.

Let us know how you get on.

hi

how amny have you made today HM???
me, nearly one!!!
maybe we could motivate each other

btw..with the help of Jayzmummy, I have printed off some lovely labels for the backs of my cards.
£4.99 for 1950 labels from PC World
I'm quite chuffed.

Hi AQ - haven't made any today, but made my two challenge ones in an hour last night (from start, with no ideas at all to finished cards).

Have got all my craft stuff out from the loft at my mum's (I used to make a lot more cards and play around with ideas, so I have quite a few B&P - discovered I do in fact have a trimmer, so glad I didn't go and buy another one - doh!), and have been round the shops to see the 'competition'. Have also begun a list of occasions/themes/materials to use.

Yes, let's motivate each other! What's the card you're making?

Could I join in with the card making motivation, please. It's alright all the time I have orders, but I find just building my stock, very hard!!

Didn't manage much last night, got kiddies to bed, ds had had karate so we ate later, just finished clearing away from dinner, and our Tescos delivery turned up. So all I managed was to cut out a few decoupage layers for a Betty Boop card order!!

have finished --- it was a Baptism card. i'm off to do 2 more before I return...off you go!

go away and make some cards!

Seriously though, for me my basics are cardstock obviously, stamps / powder (I do a lot of triple embossing, and make my own charms using small sugarcraft cutters and metallic powder, a good light, and as many different papers as I an get my hands on. I add to that whatever I find cheap on e-bay, things I can scavenge like buttons and fabric, and sort of accululate thing from there. Every now and again I do a top up somewhere like jillcraft (treating myself to a little rascal stamp this week, as I don't do enough birth cards). I try something new every montyh too, if I can.

Oh vellum. My essential.. Print on it, tear it, make tags or envelopes from it, emboss on it, use it to change colours of card... love it.

Can I just ask how copyright goes if I make cards to sell using stamps I've bought?

I am sitting here cutting out 3D decoupage! OK -I will go now!!! Check in later though!

Got to make 12 good luck shaker cards. Like the idea, but hate doing duplicated things. No attention span, me.

Copyright varies on the company.

Anitas / docratf- as many as you want, but you mustnt use a mechanical means of reproduction ie you have to stamp by hand. Companies like this are known as 'Angel Companies'.

Some stamps are no cards at all (what is the point)- either e-mail them,, or go on the do-crafts site (or let me have the company name and I willa sk for you) and post- they know EVERYTHING!

Hi Hunkermunker,that's fab news.I love hearing of people selling their cards.It means you can go out and buy more stuff Seriously though you may suddenly find yourself in big demand so make sure you have plenty of time to make the cards and keep up with demand.It may be a good idea to start designing some fairly quick to make cards.I'm terrible as mine take me ages to make well most of them do.

I couldn't do without my embossing tool used to score blanks,push stubborn threads and ribbon into small holes and emboss foil etc.I love my hitack double sided tape as I constantly worry about my cards falling to pieces after someone has bought them and got them home.I couldn't do without my decorative scissors as I think they make things look more interesting and my glitter glue as I love a bit of sparkle on my cards.I have ordered stuff off www.calicocrafts.co.uk and www.cannycrafts.co.uk and www.capturethemagic.biz with no problems also craft creations.

I did have a brochure but only gave it to a few people as it wasn't printed with photos just drawn and it didn't really do my cards any justice.So I'm going to get one made up with proper photos.But am going to be careful not to give it out to everyone as I simply don't have the time for lots of orders as it's still a hobby only.I do have them in 3 shops though.1 of which I keep reguarly stocked.And sell to family ,friends and friends of friends etc.Word of mouth works pretty well.I think you're doing the right thing aproaching shops.I've had loads turn me down so don't take it too personally if they do just keep trying.Go for it.

Can I butt in and ask for a bit of motivation too. I've got all this stuff to make cards, tons of ideas, local shops crying out for decent stuff and no flippin time to do it in cos I have a v. demanding 2 year old (don't like Mummy then 2 minutes later I love Mummy, big hugs, tears etc etc)and a hubby working more hours than there are in the day. I need to do this for myself if anything else so please, someone kick me up the bum!!

Oops. A bit self-obsessed there. GOOD LUCK hunkermunker!!

Cheekychops, I find it hard working around dd too. I thought I was going to have so much more time for me(very selfishly] when she started nursery in January. It seems the opposite in fact, doing the school run 3 times a day, and still having to fit all dd's SN appointments in the afternoons!!
I get even less time for cards now it seems. I feel so drained with it, that I forget why I started making cards in the first place, and that was to do something for me!!

I feel the Art and Craft section has really started to work well, and hopefully we are all there to support and encourage each other to succeed in whatever we do with our cards!!
Sorry, sound rather cheesy but hopefully you all know what I mean!!

massive kick up the bum needed here...orders to make and Im sat here looking at the pile of card blanks...will skuttle away now and get supper ready...then will lock myself away for the next couple of hours and drift away in to card making world.
Glass of wine...music on and my heat gun...what more can a girl ask for eh?....well apart from loads of crafty supplies!!!!

glue - in its many different forms, how many times do you make a card and realise that the glue you have is not appropriate?
Out of the corner of my eye in a craft shop the other day, i saw a glue tape dispenser - £25.....
now, i like glue but - that seemed steep!
However, if you are starting a business, then you have got to cost out these things, something like that could speed up your card making time and make the business more profitable.If anyone already has one of those big glue jobbies then let us know, are we missing out?

Oh, and cellophane wallets to keep the cards looking pristine, use your label for sealing them, (as well as one on the back of the card - include something which indicates that commissions are taken,if they are).

Loads of brilliant ideas - off today to look at more competition and then the work starts

I'm thinking of getting an accucrease as buying all the blanks seems ridiculous when I can make my own from exactly the right shade card (what weight paper do you like best?). Where's the best place to get one?

Hunker....accucrease is a must...I can't survive without mine....thanks to Dingle for highlighting it for us.

I think I paid about £18 for mine from The Paper Mill, but it has a sticker on the back saying Dies to Die for, I believe they were a bit cheaper there even with P&P, but not much.

Here

I shall purchase one forthwith

Had a wonderfully inspiring day today - have decided to be really organised with ideas and keep a record of the different cards I make, together with the 'ingredients' for each one. Kind of a card recipe book! I figure it'll make it easier to see at a glance what I need lots of, etc.

So I bought a notebook today with one lined page and one blank, so that I can sketch the card on one side and write a list of ingredients the other side. I resisted (anybody who understands my stationery obsession will understand how hard this was - I'm sure I'm among friends here ) buying some beautiful embroidered notebooks, one particularly gorgeous one with mother-of-pearl buttons on - HOW gorgeous?!

I have a funny feeling I'm taking this all far too seriously But it's how I have to do it to make it work, so I will just carry on